You know how it is when things get too hot. Your face gets red, your hair goes limp and you basically just shut down, conserving energy and waiting for something cool and wet to bring you back to life.
That’s pretty much how many plants native to Southern California respond to the heat of summer. They have evolved to grow and thrive in the cooler wet months, bloom their hearts out in the spring and then withdraw and wither in the heat, biding their time until the high heat goes away and the (recently mythical) winter rains begin.
But there are yard-worthy native plants that bloom in the summer, or just look super no matter the season, so when you’re planning your new low-water garden, here are a few quick-growing natives to consider, as recommended by Tim Becker, horticultural director of the Theodore Payne Foundation, and Evan Meyer, the foundation’s executive director.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.